


A Dream of Time

by BlackUnicorn



Series: A Map, Redrawn [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Established Relationship, Established Sirius Black/Remus Lupin, Family Bonding, Fix-It, Fluff, Hogwarts, Hogwarts Fourth Year, Letters, M/M, Misguided Albus Dumbledore, New Family, POV Sirius Black, Professor Remus Lupin, Protective Remus Lupin, References to Depression, Rise of Voldemort, Sirius Black Adopts Harry Potter, Sirius Black Free from Azkaban, Sirius Black Needs a Hug, The Marauder's Map, Triwizard Tournament, Yule Ball (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-25 15:09:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22498114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackUnicorn/pseuds/BlackUnicorn
Summary: Harry comes to live with his godfather and Sirius is delighted - things are finally falling into place. But between dealing with his own past, mysterious dreams of Voldemort, the Triwizard Tournament, and Dumbledore's secrets, it's hard to enjoy his new-found freedom.
Relationships: Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Series: A Map, Redrawn [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1615663
Comments: 48
Kudos: 426





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is part 2 of the 'A Map, Redrawn' Series and I suggest you read the first part first...if you don't want to, just know that Pettigrew was captured and convicted, Sirius freed from his charges, and Remus is still teaching DADA because Snape never outed him to the school.  
> Enjoy.

“No.”

The word rang like a badly placed _Confringo_ through the terse silence of Dumbledore’s office, met by three faces in different states of disbelief.

“No?” Minerva spoke up first, her expression leaning more towards blankness than anything else.

“No,” the Headmaster confirmed.

It was three weeks into summer and school was closed but they had all agreed to meet here anyway – neutral territory.

“And why not, if I may ask?” the Head of Gryffindor pressed on.

Dumbledore was sitting in his chair, relaxed and visibly pleased with himself, his eyes twinkling away behind his half-moon glasses as they always tended to do. Once upon a time, Sirius had admired the old man’s ability to always look in charge and on top of his game, now, however, it did nothing but made him want to break something, preferably Dumbledore’s nose.

“It is Petunia Dursley’s blood that keeps Harry safe where he is.”

“Safe?” Sirius finally asked, not quite sure if he could belief his ears, “You call that safe? Harry slept in a bloody cupboard for eleven years, they made him cook and clean, they starved him…they hate him. _You call that safe_?” He hadn’t meant to raise his voice, knew that, against Dumbledore, it was useless, but he couldn’t help it, he couldn’t –

“If it keeps him out of reach of Voldemort then, yes, I’d call that very safe.”

“It’s child abuse, is what it is – believe me, I’d know!” he shouted, barely noticing the gentle hand on his shoulder.

“Sirius,” Remus muttered into his ear, obviously trying to calm him down, but Sirius just shrugged him off.

“No.” he shook his head vehemently, “No, Remus, I can’t – I can’t believe this.” Up and down the office he paced. Up and down. Up and down. “This isn’t what they wanted. This isn’t what Lily and James wanted. It’s in their Will – I’m his fucking godfather! I’m his rightful guardian!”

“The sacrifice Lily made protects Harry, but only if he stays with his blood for at least some time during the year –” Dumbledore began to explain again but this time it was Minerva interrupting him.

“You’re speaking of blood-magic, Albus. We all know how erratic and unreliable that can be.”

Sirius was glad they had her with them, on their side.

“It’s the best option,” the old man argued.

“Is it? Is it, really? I’m sorry, Albus, but I don’t see it. Harry’s well-being should come first and that is not guaranteed in that house – I told you before, they are the worst kind of Muggles and Harry is clearly suffering.”

There was a long moment of silence. Dumbledore stared at Minerva, the twinkle in his eyes finally faded, replaced by something that almost looked like betrayal. Hurt.

“There are other ways,” Remus reasoned, stepping forward. _Merlin, I love him_. “Make the Dursleys go into hiding. Let Harry stay with us. There are a lot of people who’d be willing to be our Secret Keeper.”

“You have no reason, whatsoever, to not agree with this, Albus,” Minerva added but – but Albus still hesitated.

“We’d win.” Sirius had stopped his pacing, standing in front of the window, looking outside onto the familiar grounds of Hogwarts. “If we had to go to the Ministry to fight for Harry. We’d win.”

_I’d win_.

Of course, there was no way for the Ministry to allow a registered Werewolf to adopt a child but, as far as the Ministry was concerned, Remus was simply an old friend, nothing else.  
“I – I admit,” Dumbledore said now, his voice uncharacteristically shaky, unsteady, almost timid, “I admit that mistakes have been made –” Sirius let out a snort. _Mistakes_ , he thought, is _that what we’ll call it now?_ “—but I stand by my decision that Harry is best protected with his family.”

“I’m his family,” Sirius said darkly, turning his head to look at the Headmaster. He looked old. “And I’m going to bring him home.”

And with those words, Sirius turned on his heel and left the office – he’d never denied to be anything but dramatic.

* * *

They had bought a small apartment in Soho, London – two bedrooms, one bathroom, one open kitchen and living room space, just enough for two grown-up men with abandonment and co-dependency issues and a teenage boy who’d lived through more trauma in 13 years than most people did in 30. It was home. Or it should be, anyway.

“What happened?” Sirius asked after Remus had stumbled out of the fireplace, closely followed by Minerva who looked angry. Angrier than Sirius had ever seen her, perhaps.

“Sirius, send a Patronus to Harry immediately – he will be picked in an hour.”

Sirius blinked and blinked again, processing Minerva’s words.

“What happened?” he asked again, more anxious this time.

“Sirius,” Remus muttered and sat down on one of the chairs around the kitchen table, “Please.”

“Okay. Okay.” A wolf, big, bigger than any wolf should be, with a shorter-than-usual snout and a rather tufted tail, broke out from Sirius’ wand and faded almost immediately into the air, travelling towards its destination to deliver the message of Sirius’ arrival.

“I will be your Secret Keeper,” Minerva announced, still standing, still pressing her lips into a thin line, “The Dursleys will be relocated to France, also under the Fidelius Charm, and I will talk to Molly and Arthur. It’s best if they take precautions as well. This way it should be hard enough to find Harry should anyone be looking for him.”

Sirius nodded. “Good.”

“And, Sirius,” Minerva went on, “I hope it doesn’t need saying, but I think it is best if you do not discuss any sensitive information with anyone outside the people of this room right now. And Harry.”

Another nod. “I agree.” Finally, Minerva sat down, letting out a deep breath. “What about Dumbledore?”

An almost painful expression entered the professor’s eyes. “Albus –” she began but trailed off, visibly looking for words but finding none.

“Albus doesn’t trust you,” Remus said, matter-of-factly, “He never really did.”

“I know.” He did. He’d known since he’d been seventeen years old, wanting to join the Order and fight for a better future. “Perks of being a Black.”

A dark expression crossed Remus’ face, the same dark expression that could probably be seen on Sirius’ face whenever Remus talked bad about himself.

_You know it’s true_ , he wanted to argue but didn’t. There was no point. They’d had this particular discussion so many times always running round and round and round in verbal circles, getting nowhere.

“I’m afraid there’s more he’s not telling us,” Remus said, apparently deciding to pointedly ignore Sirius’ comment as well, “There’s a reason why he wants Harry to stay with his aunt and uncle – one that goes beyond Blood Magic.”

Sirius frowned. “What makes you think that?”

“It would have been easy to get around that, to find another way, and –” Remus paused, glancing at Minerva who gave the smallest of nods, “—and I’m not entirely convinced anymore that he was as clueless about what happened with James and Lily as he says he was…”

Sirius’ eyes grew wide. It was one thing to think something in the quiet privacy of your mind and something else completely to hear that thought out loud from someone else.

“Are you saying he knew?”

“He certainly knew something.”  
“But then –”

“It doesn’t matter,” Minerva interrupted him, “Not right now. What matters is that you are careful with who you trust.” It was a sobering thought. If Dumbledore did, in fact, know, then what did that mean? What else was he hiding? “Now,” Minerva spoke up once more, “I believe you have a child to pick up.”

* * *

The child to pick up was already eagerly awaiting their arrival, sitting at the bottom of the stairs, trunk packed, and Hedwig safely stored in her cage, when Sirius rang the bell.

“Sirius,” Harry breathed out, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth that Sirius couldn’t help but return.

“Harry.” Behind Sirius, Remus and Minerva kept an eye on the street but seemed equally pleased to see the boy.

“Professor McGonagall. Professor Lupin.” The smile on Harry’s face wavered just for a second. “Er – come on in.”

“Nah.” Sirius shook his head and stepped aside, “You come on out. I’ll take you to the new place – Remus and Minerva are just going to have a chat with your aunt and uncle. They’ll bring your stuff, so don’t worry about that.”

Harry blinked, clearly confused, but stepped outside and together they walked down the street towards a dark corner between two houses where they could safely Apparate.

“Hold on tight.”

And with a loud _pop_ they were gone, reappearing between two bins in the middle of London.

“Okay?” Sirius asked while Harry grabbed hold of the wall behind them, struggling for breath.

“What was that?” he panted.

“Ahh, sorry. Shoulda guessed you never Apparated before. You’ll get used to it.”

“Not sure I want to,” Harry muttered but smiled up at his godfather.

“Come on, it’s just across the road.”

As excited as Sirius was to finally show Harry his new home, he couldn’t help the nervousness that washed over him when they entered.

The room was long-ish, clearly separated by the old leather sofa in the middle – the kind that threatened to swallow you whole, the kind that, once sat down on, wouldn’t let you go – buried under piles of blankets and pillows. In front of the sofa, a wobbly coffee table with the tell-tale ring marks of tea cups filled to the brim. A fireplace surrounded by photos of Lily and James, and Remus and Sirius, and Harry as a chubby-cheeked baby. Behind the sofa stood the kitchen table with mismatched chairs, on the table a fruit bowl that held more chocolate bars than actual fruit but, or so Sirius told himself, it was the thought that counted. There was a massive floor-to-ceiling bookshelf covering one wall, the only thing in the room that looked new and well-cared for, holding books ranging from Muggle novels over Muggle science, over Wizard academia, all the way to those that tried to combine the latter two.

“It’s not much –” Sirius tried to explain was cut off by Harry.

“It’s perfect.”

The older man tried not to think about what Harry’s definition of perfect said about his past life experiences.

“Wanna see your room?”

Without waiting for an answer, Sirius crossed the room towards the two doors, one for each bedroom. Harry’s room was, like everything else in the apartment not huge – a bed, a chest of drawers, a hideous and heavy wardrobe, and a desk.

“We weren’t sure what you like,” Sirius said, “So we’ll go out and get some stuff for you tomorrow.”

“Oh, you don’t have to –”

“I want to, Harry. I missed out on almost 13 years of spoiling you as my godson…humor me?”

There was a moment of silence in which Sirius tried not to nervously chew on his lips, then –

“Okay.”

And _then_ Remus and Minerva came back.

“How’d it go?” Sirius asked as soon as the other two had set down Harry’s stuff.

“How’d what go?” Harry asked curiously from where he was standing in the doorway of his new room.

“We made your aunt and uncle an offer,” Minerva began to explain, “A way to keep them safe. They have three months to settle their businesses here before being relocated to France, your uncle – well, let it suffice to say that he was not pleased by the idea, you aunt, however, seemed happy enough.”

“I forgot how… _strong-minded_ …your uncle could be,” Remus added with a wry smile before turning on the kettle.

“Hang on – you know my aunt and uncle?”

Remus made a sound that could be passed as a chuckle and answered, “Knowing would be a vast overstatement. We’ve met –” The kettle gave a soft hissing sound and, with a vague gesture of Remus’ hand, began to fill hot water into four cups by itself “—once anyway,” he continued, “It didn’t end particularly well.”

_That’s putting it mildly_ , Sirius thought, remembering that one time they had all had dinner together, just after the wedding, remembered the awkwardness on everyone’s part and the few choice words Vernon Dursley had for Sirius and ‘ _the likes of him_ ’ and he remembered the way Remus had had to be physically stopped from ripping out the guy’s throat. With his teeth. The night had ended in tears.

“Anyway,” Minerva spoke up from where she had sat down at the table, one steaming cup of tea in front of her, “It is, in the end, their decision whether or not they want to accept our protection. Speaking of which, we should proceed with the spell.”

“Spell?” Harry piped up, accepting his own tea from Remus.

“Fidelius Charm,” Sirius explained, “Minerva will be our Secret Keeper.”

There was surprise in Harry’s eyes, as if he hadn’t expected his Transfiguration professor to care, which was, in a way, fair, Sirius supposed – Minerva didn’t seem like the caring kind on first or second or even third glance, but, once you’d gotten under her skin, she would do anything for you. A true Lion.

* * *

Living with Harry was nothing like Sirius expected, not that he could have said what exactly he had expected just that it hadn’t been, well, _this_.

Harry was a great kid, smart and sassy. He was also too quiet, too careful, too good at cooking than any teenage boy had any right to be, he seemed closed off and secretive at times, hyper-aware of his surroundings, always on the lookout for threats, he flinched at loud noises and then immediately pretended like he hadn’t – it was, Sirius realised, like looking into a mirror and seeing his past self.

It was also the best thing to ever happen to him.

Azkaban was in the past, pretty much one year now, and yet Sirius was still haunted by the memories it had left behind. Living with Harry and Remus helped. They kept the nightmares at bay and cast a shining bright light on the dark corners of his mind and together the three of them carved out a safe place in the heart of London for their little patchwork family, enjoying small and big meals at the kitchen table and long nights on the sofa. They spent hours in both Diagon Alley and Muggle London, filling Harry’s wardrobe piece by piece with clothes that he had picket out by himself, buying bedsheets and curtains and a TV. They visited Godrick’s Hallow and Lily’s and James’ grave for Harry’s birthday and, afterwards, went to the Burrow for a small party.

It wasn’t until August that the domestic bliss they had succumbed to received something of a damper.

It was early morning, the sun not yet risen over the house roofs of London and the flat still doused in darkness, while Sirius was sitting on the couch staring at the muted TV but not really seeing anything of what was happening, when Harrys’ bedroom door opened and the boy himself padded into the living room on bare feet.

“Oh, sorry,” he muttered when he saw Sirius, “I thought everyone was still asleep.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve been up for a while now.” _All night to be honest…_

It happened sometimes. The memories turned into dreams turned into sleepless nights, sometimes it was impossible to ignore the horrors in his mind, the faces of the dead and the lost, the bitter sting of the cold, the blood on his hands, a deep crimson. Sometimes it was hard to see beyond the shadows, to catch a glimpse of the future that unfolded around him like a particularly large map, small and big roads leading this way and that way, crossing and crossing and crossing again, leading somewhere he couldn’t make out.

A glass of water in hand, Harry sat down cross-legged on the sofa next to Sirius, his eyes turned to the TV, watching as the cheetah on the screen caught up with the gazelle

“I couldn’t go back to sleep either,” Harry told him, “Bad dream.”

“Wanna talk about it, cub?”

Sirius could see Harry roll his eyes at the name but, and that was the important part, he could also see the barely-hidden smile on his lips.

“It was Voldemort.” It took everything in Sirius to not curse out loud. Luckily, Harry didn’t seem to notice as he went on, “He was there. With a snake. He killed someone. A man. A Muggle. There was someone else there, too. I don’t know who it was but he, Voldemort, called him his most faithful servant.” A sip of water. A shudder. “It felt so real.”

Moving slowly, deliberately, Sirius put one arm around his godson, pulling him closer. “Dreams often do,” he whispered, remembering his own dreams, his own nightmares, the fear just after waking up that, perhaps, he was still _there_. Still with _them_. Moving slowly, deliberately, Sirius put one arm around his godson, pulling him closer, holding him tight.

They sat in silence, side by side, watching TV and outside their window the sun slowly climbed up, up, up towards the sky.

* * *

Death Eaters at the World Cup.

The Dark Mark in the sky.

And then there was Harry’s dream, of course. Harry’s dream that, if you asked Sirius, might not have been a dream at all.

“He killed someone,” Harry had said, “A man.” And what do you know? Frank Bryce, a Muggle, had died the same night Harry had had the dream, giving the local police quite the puzzle of the cause of death.

The whole thing made Sirius uneasy to say the least.

“His most faithful servant,” Harry has said. The only person coming to mind would be Bellatrix except last time he’d checked – quite literally, since he’d taken a little detour on his way out of Azkaban – his cousin had still been rotting away in her cell.

“He’ll be fine,” said Remus for the fifth time, checking his trunk once more to make sure he hadn’t missed anything.

“I know,” Sirius replied, “But what if –”

“Sirius!”

“Sorry,” Sirius muttered, dropping his gaze to the bed he was currently lying on. Harry had boarded the Hogwarts Express not half an hour ago and Sirius was already worried sick and Remus – beautiful, perfect Remus – was doing his best to calm him down. Closing his trunk now, the Werewolf climbed onto the bed and pressed a gentle kiss to Sirius’ forehead.

“He’ll be fine,” he whispered into the brunet’s hairline, “I’ll be there. Minerva will be there. And you can come by any time you want.”

“I know.” And he did. They’d been over this. Sirius had even gotten a job in Hogsmeade to be closer to the school. “He’ll be fine.” Sirius exhaled. Maybe, if he just repeated it often enough, it would be true. “He’ll be fine.”

Merlin, he acted as if this was Harry’s first year. As if his godson wasn’t perfectly capable of dealing with whatever life threw at him. As if he wasn’t going to see Harry on the first Hogsmeade weekend.

_You can survive until then_ , he didn’t tell himself as much as he ordered it.

“I need to go, Padfoot,” Remus reminded him. Another kiss, on the tip of the nose this time. “I’ll floo you tonight, okay?”

Reluctantly, Sirius nodded, pursing his lips until Remus rolled his eyes and complied, giving him what he wanted.

“I need to go.”

“Have fun!” Sirius called after him, listening to Remus hurl his trunk and then himself into the fireplace before vanishing in a blaze of green flames.

Sirius sighed. It would be a bloody long year.


	2. Chapter 2

_Dear Sirius,_

_The first week went well but Remus probably already told you. Anyway, here goes –_

_Hermione wants to free the House Elves working in Hogwarts, she didn’t eat the first night and now she spends all her time in the library._

_Hagrid brought in new creatures called Blast-Ended Screwts that are as gross as they sound and probably dangerous as well, at least Hermione thinks so. Hagrid’s having us feed them and raise them for some reason._

_Also, Malfoy tried to hex me, but Remus saw him and gave him detention._

_Oh, and the Triwizard Tournament is coming to Hogwarts, but I reckon you already knew that – why didn’t you tell me?_

_Anyway, everyone’s really excited and can’t wait for the other schools to come._

_Harry_

_P.S. Thanks for giving me the Map back_

* * *

_Hi Sirius,_

_The other schools are coming in a week!!!_

_I wonder who will be Champion for Hogwarts – I hope it’s a Gryffindor. Someone said Cedric Diggory from Hufflepuff wants to run and I guess that would be alright, too. He did beat us in Quidditch last year and he’s popular ‘cause he’s good-looking._

_Anyway, Hermione’s still serious about the House Elves. She made this thing called S.P.E.W. (Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare) and roped Ron and me into it as well. She keeps lecturing everyone on slavery now and how we need to help the Elves. All that on top of all the homework we get. It’s like we’re having our O.W.L.s in a few weeks when it’s next year! Even Remus gives us more work than last year!_

_Also, Snape’s threatened to poison us all but now he can’t ‘cause the schools arrive on Friday just after Potions so there’s no time…_

_Harry_

* * *

_Sirius,_

_I was chosen as forth Champion. I didn’t enter my name, someone else must have, I swear._

_Sorry,_

_Harry_

Sirius was on his way to Hogwarts before the glass he’d been holding and let go of had hit the ground, bursting into a hundred little pieces with no one to bear witness.

Furious.

He was furious.

Harry was supposed to be safe this year. He was supposed to go to Hogwarts, eat loads of food, learn useful spells, and procrastinate on his homework, he was supposed to sneak out of bed after hours, have fun with his friends, fall in love and maybe have his heart broken for the first time. He was supposed to finally be a normal teenager.

“How could this happen?” he snapped at Minerva once he’d stumbled out of her fireplace. She was sitting behind her desk, glasses perching low on the bridge of her nose, hair pulled back into the usual tight knot, and she looked tired. Stressed out.

“Sirius,” she sighed, “Please, sit down.”

“How could this happen?” Sirius repeated, very much not sitting down.

“I don’t know,” she answered, “No one knows.” She motioned towards a chair that moved back by itself. “Please.”

Still panting heavily, hands balled into fists, Sirius complied. “He can’t compete,” he argued, “It’s against the rules.”

“Believe me, I already had this discussion with both Albus and Barty Crouch. Twice. They insist on Harry staying a Champion.”

“But –”

“But nothing,” Minerva cut him off, “All we can do now is support Harry to the best of our abilities.”

Sirius took another deep breath and nodded. “Can I at least see him?” he asked.

Minerva, on her part, gave him the tiniest of smiles and answered, “You may visit Remus, and if Harry just happens to walk into the office, well…there’s nothing anyone can do about that.”

Sirius inclined his head in a silent ‘thank you’ and walked to the door.

* * *

Remus was already waiting for him when Sirius knocked on his door.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

The office looked much like it had last year except that Sirius recognized more personal touches in the bookshelves, on the walls, and the desk.

“You talk to Harry?” Sirius asked after a moment, deciding against sitting on the chair and instead pulled Remus into a tight embrace.

“I did.”

“How is he?”

“As expected…He puts on a tough façade but he’s terrified,” Remus replied, “He’s on his way.”

“Good.”

Together they waited. The silence in the room was stifling, charged with fear and anger, a heavy blanket that enveloped them as the seconds ticked by.

_Knock. Knock._

“Come in!”

“Professor, you wanted to –” Harry started but cut himself off as soon as he saw that Remus wasn’t alone. “Sirius!”

“Hey, cub.”

Frowning slightly, Harry entered the room and closed the door. “What are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here?” Sirius echoed, both eyebrows migrating towards his hairline. _Really_?

“Sorry,” Harry said quickly and stepped further into the room.

“Harry –”

“I didn’t do it!” the teenage boy blurted out, “I didn’t put my name into the fire, someone else must have done it, I swear!”

“I know.”

“You do?”

“Against popular opinion, I don’t think you actually have a death wish,” Sirius answered, smiling as best as he could despite the situation, “And, no offence, but you’re not good enough to get past Dumbledore’s age line – hell, we didn’t manage that when we were in school and we had Moony.”

“N – none taken,” Harry said, blinking rapidly, as if he wasn’t quite sure what to think anymore, “So, you believe me?”

“Obviously.”

“No one else does,” Harry muttered, finally sitting down on the chair opposite to his guardians, looking defeated and, frankly, quite miserable, “They all think I did it. Ron hates me.”

“I don’t think he hates you,” Remus said mildly, “I think he’s jealous.”

At that, Harry looked up, a deep crease between his brows. “Hermione said that, too.”

Next to him, Remus smiled. “You should listen to her, she’s a smart girl.”

Nodding his head in agreement, Sirius added, “Reminds me of Lily, actually.”

“Really?”

“Sharp as a whip and just as dangerous.” Finally, Harry cracked a smile. “Stick to your friends, Harry. Keep your eyes and ears open and your head low. And don’t hesitate to ask for help. Me, Remus, Minerva, anyone.”

“That’s cheating,” Harry reminded him, clearly amused.

Sirius waved his hand dismissively. “Cheating’s a long-standing tradition in the Triwizard Tournament,” he said, “Besides, your very Championship is against the rules, what’s a little more?”

_Nothing, if it keeps you alive…_

“Thank you, Sirius.”

“Anything for you, cub.”

* * *

_Sirius,_

_Life has been hell. You probably saw that article Skeeter wrote…I can’t leave the dorm without someone offering me a tissue. Hermione’s suffering too I think but she won’t say._

_Ron still doesn’t talk to me._

_But at least there’s a Hogsmeade weekend coming up, so I guess I’ll see you then?_

_Harry_

The Hogsmeade weekend in question couldn’t come fast enough in Sirius’ opinion and when it finally did, work was the last thing on his mind.

He’d been glad to find the job at the Hogs’ Head. It was off the main road, a shady little thing that students and most everyone who liked to be called respectable stayed clear of, leaving only the sort of people who didn’t talk or ask for much. The fact that the owner was Albus’ estranged brother was…well…it was something, alright. Aberforth was an odd, gruffy bloke but, like everyone in the Hog’s Head, he minded his own business and let other people do the same, Sirius could appreciate that.

“Going out for a break!” Sirius called out to his boss when it was time for Harry to arrive in the village. As expected, Aberforth’s only response was a non-committal grunt as he kept on wiping the counter with a dirty rag.

Sirius found Harry just outside the Three Broomsticks with Hermione and Remus, casting around suspicious looks but visibly relaxing when his eyes fell on his godfather.

“Sirius!”

“Prongslet,” Sirius greeted him, “Hermione, Moony.”

“Let’s go inside,” Moony said, there was something in his eyes that worried Sirius, something overly intense and dark.

“What’s wrong?” he whispered into the Werewolves ear while they pushed through the crowd inside the pub.

“Harry’s got news,” was the only answer he got, and Sirius had to content himself with waiting for everyone to get a drink and find a table. With a wave of his wand, Sirius put up privacy charms, keeping everyone out who had no business listening to their conversation or even as much as looking at them for too long.

“Harry,” he prompted his godson once they were all settled.

“I just talked to Cedric,” Harry began to explain, “Cedric Diggory. He told me what the first Task is.”

Even if he’d wanted to, Sirius probably wouldn’t have been able to keep the frown of his face. “Why would he do that?”

Harry shrugged and answered, “He said something about fair chances for everyone. Apparently, Fleur and Krum know as well.”

“It was a nice thing to do of him,” Remus conceded, giving Sirius a hard look that clearly told him to _concentrate on the point, Padfoot!_

“Right – What’s the first Task, then?”

Harry took a sip from his Butterbeer, stalling, then – “Dragons” – which very nearly made Sirius spit out his own Butterbeer.

“Dragons?”

“Dragons.” It was Sirius now who took his time with taking a large gulp from his drink, trying to process that particular piece of information, trying to find something to say. Luckily, he didn’t have to. “He said,” Harry went on, “That there’s one for each of us. We’re supposed to get past them for something.”

“Conjunctivitis,” Sirius suggested the first thing that came to mind, however, Remus shook his head.

“Too risky,” the professor argued, “Attacking the eyes will only make the Dragon angry.”

“James’ Cloak?”

“That Harry technically shouldn’t have? She would still smell him.”

“What then?” Sirius asked, trying to keep his irritation at bay. _This isn’t Moony’s fault_.

“Harry.” Remus turned to properly look at the teenager. “What’s your greatest strength?”

“What?” Harry asked perplexed.

“What’s your greatest strength?”

“I – I don’t have one?” It sounded more like a question that an answer but both Sirius and Remus rolled their eyes.

“Yes, you do,” Sirius threw in, picking up on Remus’ train of thought.

“No, really,” Harry argued, shaking his head, “I don’t have one.”

Remus rubbed a hand over his face. “Good Godric,” he muttered into his palm, “Where’s your dad’s inflated ego when you need it? – Harry James Potter, what are you?”

Harry James Potter blinked. “A Wizard?”

“Yes.” Remus nodded, showing of the patience one would have with a toddler. “And?”

“A Gryffindor?”

“Yes. And?”

“I don’t know! A Seeker?”

“ _Yes!_ ”

Harry blinked again. Once. Twice. “How’s that gonna help me?” he asked, “I can’t take my broom with me, can I?”

“No,” Remus agreed, “But you have your wand.”

“Oh.”


	3. Chapter 3

December came and went. Sirius was, of course, glad to hear that Harry had gotten through the first Task mostly unscathed but that only meant that there were two more to go, on top of that, he really hated that Harry couldn’t come home over the Holidays.

“But why?” he all but whined.

It was the first day of break and Remus had come home for dinner.

“Because he’s a Champion and the Champions open the Ball.”

“It’s Christmas! He should be able to have a choice.”

“I’ll talk to Dumbledore again…maybe he’ll let you be my plus one.”

Sirius doubted that he would but was careful not to voice his suspicion, instead only gave a curt nod and stirred the conversation towards safer terrain.

“Who’s he going with?” he asked, shoveling some pasta into his mouth.

“Pavarti Patil,” Remus answered, an amused twinkle entering his eyes.

“Never heard of her.”

“She’s a Gryffindor in Harry’s year. Smart girl. Not his first choice, or so I hear…”

“Oh?”

Remus’ lips curled into a smile while sipped from his glass of wine. “Apparently your godson has a little crush on one of the Ravenclaw girls…Cho Chang.”

“Ravenclaw?” Sirius asked, chuckling lightly, “He’ll be eaten alive.”

“She’s going with Cedric Diggory anyway…still…it’s cute.”

The brunet sighed dramatically. “They grow up so fast – it seems only yesterday that he was puking all over my shirt.”

“You loved it,” the Werewolf teased.

“Damn right I did.”

There was sadness between the smiles, a heaviness to the jokes and jests, and a painful truth. They’d missed it – all of it. Seeing Harry grow up, from the little baby into the boy he was now. They’d missed being there for him when he’d taken his first steps without holding a hand, when he’d formed his first coherent sentence, when he’d eaten his first solid meal. They’d missed his first day at school and his first act of magic and no matter how hard they tried, they’d never be able to make for all that.

“He loves you,” Remus said long after they’d finished dinner and curled up together on the sofa, “You know that, right?”

“He barely knows me,” muttered Sirius, the familiar ache in his chest getting stronger the more he thought about it.

“He will. You have time, now.”

The brunet grimaced. “Do we?” he questioned, “With everything that’s happened, everything that’s happening right now…I don’t like it, Remus.” He cast a glance towards his friend, his partner, his world.

“Neither do I,” Remus admitted.

“We knew Voldemort wasn’t dead but if what Harry saw is true and he’s got one of his followers with him? Some – some faithful servant? He’ll be back, and then what was it all for? It was supposed to be over, Moony. They said we won but…it doesn’t feel like it, does it?”

“Who could it be, though? This faithful servant?”

Sirius shrugged. “I can only think of Bellatrix but if she’d gotten out, we’d know about it.”

Remus nodded while Sirius tried to think – think about who could possibly be fanatic enough to return to Voldemort’s side even after his defeat. Who, who who?

“If you’re thinking Severus –” Remus started but before he could finish the sentence Sirius had already shaken his head.

“No,” he replied reluctantly, “Dumbledore might be a manipulative, secretive, conniving bastard but he’s not stupid. He trusts Snape. He wouldn’t do that without a good reason.” _As much as I hate to say it_ , he added silently. “No, there must be someone else.”

“Voldemort had many followers,” Remus considered, “Most of which never faced trial.”

“Yeah.” It was a depressing thought…people like Lucius Malfoy, the Carrows, Yaxley or Avery being out there, pretending to be upstanding Wizards and Witches and secretly trying to bring back a war that they’d all left behind.

_It was supposed to be over._

* * *

To Sirius’ surprise, Dumbledore did, in fact, allow him to be Remus’ plus one for the Yule Ball.

The Castle had definitely received a glow up, Sirius noted as he strode through the hallways towards Remus’ room, passing groups of students who eyes him curiously – the news of his pardon still fresh enough to be on people’s minds, not to mention the shock he’d given the poor kids the previous year.

“Hello stranger,” he muttered after he’d slipped into Remus’ room and up to the man himself who stood in front of the mirror, fixing his hair. He cleaned up nice, Sirius found, wearing simple but elegant black robes with a hint of red, matching Sirius’ own cardinal robes with shiny gold accents. Remus smiled at Sirius through the reflexion before turning around.

“You look nice.”

“So do you.”

Regular, good meals and a few new clothes really had done wonders for the Werewolf’s appearance and, if anyone had asked Sirius, he’d have told you that Remus had never looked better.

“Ready?” Sirius asked but not before stealing a kiss and earning himself a fond eyeroll.

“Ready.”

Together they walked out of the room and down the stairs where most of the students were already waiting – Harry, Ron, and two girls who Sirius assumed were their dates, stood to the side of the Hall, looking somewhat awkward.

_Cute_ , Sirius thought before dragging Remus along to say hello.

“Looking good, cub.”

“Sirius!” The bright smile on Harry’s face was well worth the pinch in his shoulder and the look Remus gave him that seemed to say, ‘stop embarrassing him’.

“Ron.”

“Hullo Sirius, Professor Lupin.” Where Harry was, indeed, looking good and at least somewhat comfortable in his dress robes, Ron just looked outright miserable and Sirius really couldn’t blame him, considering the state of his own attire.

“Where’s Hermione?” Remus asked next to him.

“We don’t know,” both teenage boys answered at the same time, “She’s been getting ready for ages.”

“Who’s her date then?” Sirius chipped in. He was, admittedly, actually curious who she was going with since it was neither Harry nor Ron.

“We don’t know that either.” And was it just Sirius or did Ron seem slightly bitter about that?

Before he could think about that any further, however, Minerva called the Champions to the door to the Great Hall.

Remus and Sirius walked past the Champions into the Great Hall and towards the top table where they were sat between Minerva and Percy Weasley.

_Could be worse_ , Sirius thought, _could be Barty Crouch Senior himself…_

Which was, when it came down to it, not a thought worth pursuing any further.

Once dinner was over, the Champions and their partners opened the Ball. He watched Harry trip over his own two feet as he stumbled to his feet and followed Pavarti onto the dance floor, the girl very clearly leading.

“He looks so much like James…” he whispered to no one in particular and was glad that Remus was the only one to hear, squeezing Sirius’ hand gently under the table while the Champions danced in if Sirius’ eyes got suspiciously wet, watching his best friends son trying not to step on the girls toes, well…no one ever had to know.

“May I have this dance, Mr. Moony?”

“You most certainly may, Mr. Padfoot.”

* * *

While getting caught snogging by Severus fucking Snape and Karkaroff of all people wasn’t exactly what Sirius would pass as a good time, the look on their faces was something Sirius would cherish for the rest of his life.

“And what are you two doing out here?” he asked Harry and Ron who’d been strolling through the hedges.

Harry shrugged. “Fresh air,” he said. Next to him, Ron wore a sore expression.

“Is everything okay?” Remus asked softly, obviously also picking up on the bad mood of the two boys.

“Percy was being annoying.”

“Ahh.”

_Yes_ , Sirius thought, _that would do it_.

Remus, smart as he was, roped Ron into a discussion about the latest homework, giving Sirius a subtle nod from behind the red-haired boy.

“Thank you,” Sirius mouthed and led Harry a nearby bench for some quality godfather-godson bonding time.

“How are you doing?” He asked after Harry had finished recounting his fist Task in elaborate detail, repeated Ron’s concerns about Viktor Krum, and shared his own irritation about the tension between his two best friends.

“I’m okay,” Harry answered, “Really.”

Sirius nodded, deciding to belief him, at least for now. “And the egg?”

“Still screaming.” He sounded outright miserable. “I don’t know what else to do.”

“Bring it by Remus’ office tomorrow,” Sirius suggested, feeling way out of his depth, wishing he could offer some actual help.

“I’m supposed to do it alone,” Harry reminded him stubbornly.

“You’re also supposed to get through all this alive and in one piece.” _If that means cheating…well…_

There was something in Harry’s eyes that Sirius couldn’t quite name, something strong, something big, something growing bigger still. And then the teenager smiled, a tentative, timid thing that made Sirius’ heart soar.

“Okay.”

* * *

_DUMBLEDORE’S BEASTS_

_Albus Dumbledore, eccentric Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has never been afraid to make controversial staff appointments_ , writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent.

_Last year, he hired Remus Lupin to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts. Lupin is a former student of Hogwarts and a close friend to none other than the infamous Sirius Black, who also happens to be the godfather of none other than Harry Potter. Though Black has been pardoned mere months ago for his crimes of murder, he has spent 12 years in Azkaban, the Wizarding prison guarded by Dementors which must have done great damage to the man as Dementors are not known for their mercy. Such a relation makes one already question the headmaster’s decision, however, it gets worse. Looking at the list of registered Werewolves it may come as a shock, but certainly not a surprise, to fine none other than Remus John Lupin’s name. How Dumbledore can take responsibility for employing a known and registered Werewolf in his school is certainly a question worth asking._

_“I did not agree to this,” Lucius Malfoy, a member of the School Board and close associate of Minister Cornelius Fudge, confided in a reporter of the_ Daily Prophet, _“But Dumbledore overruled the Board’s decision.”_

_Werewolves are known to be vicious creatures with no morals once they have transformed and keeping one so close to a school full of children is irresponsible to say the least. Less than 15 years ago, many Werewolf packs joined the ranks of He Who Must Not Be Named and spread terror amongst the wizarding community, particularly Muggleborns and children._

_Neither headmaster Dumbledore nor any of the other staff was open for interviews on the matter, however._

_Another array of questions brings Rubeus Hagrid – former gamekeeper of Hogwarts after being expelled in his third year – who has taken up the position of teaching Care of Magical Creatures._

_Hagrid is an alarmingly large and ferociously-looking man who strikes fear in many of his students by bringing in highly dangerous creatures._

_“I was attacked by a Hippogriff last year,” says Draco Malfoy, a fourth-year student. “We all hate Hagrid but we’re just too scared to say anything.”_

_In a conversation with Hagrid himself, last month, he admitted to breeding creatures he, himself, has called ‘Blast-Ended Skrewts’, highly dangerous crosses between manticores and fire crabs and a breed that has not been approved or overseen by the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical creatures. According to Hagrid, he was “just having some fun” but did not further expand on the subject._

_As if this were not enough, the_ Daily Prophet _has now unearthed evidence that Hagrid is not – as he has always pretended – a pure-blood wizard. He is not, in fact, even pure human. His mother, we can exclusively reveal, is none other than the giantess Fridwulfa, whose whereabouts are currently unknown._

_Whereas Werewolves pass as human most of the time, safe for the night of the full moon, Giants are bloodthirsty and brutal creatures who, similarly to the Werewolves, supported You-Know-Who and were responsible for some of the most gruesome Muggle-killing during his reign of terror._

_Judging by Hagrid’s behaviour towards his students, he has inherited the brutal nature his mother._

_Furthermore, both Rubeus Hagrid and Remus Lupin seem to have developed a close relationship to the boy who brought about You-Know-Who’s downfall, Harry Potter himself._

_Perhaps the Boy Who Lived is unaware of his friends’ true natures, but it is, undoubtfully, Albus Dumbledore’s duty as a headmaster to ensure that his students, and Harry Potter in particular, are warned about the dangerousness of their teachers and kept safe from any threats._

* * *

_Padfoot,_

_I know you’re angry, I am too, but whatever you’re thinking DO NOT go after Skeeter!!! Please, I am actually begging you here, Sirius, do not paint a target on your back when you’ve just gotten rid of the last one – it is NOT worth it._

_Attacking her will not erase the words she wrote, it will not make people forget what they read, it will not undo the damage she’s done. If you really want to do something, and I know you do, find out how she did it. The Werewolf-register isn’t open to the public and she wouldn’t have checked without a reason, so who told her? Because I trust each and every person that knows not to have done that. Even Snape._

_And how’d she find out about Hagrid? I can’t imagine him just blabbing about his mother in front of her._

_Please, Sirius. I promise you I will be fine. I am fine. For Harry’s sake don’t do anything rash._

_I love you._

_Moony_

* * *

_Sirius,_

_I’m sorry. I don’t know how she found out but Hermione, Ron and I are working on it – she won’t get away with it!_

_Remus seems fine. Better than Hagrid anyway._

_He’s still teaching, still holding his head high, ignoring what people say._

_Breakfast yesterday was overrun by owl, loads of parents sending in Howlers but it’s like they don’t know who they’re more angry about, Remus or Hagrid. Anyway, Dumbledore says he wants them both to stay, so that’s good._

_Please be careful,_

_Harry_

_Ps: I found out what the second Task is. Apparently, I have to go into the Lake and take something from the Merepeople. Neville’s helping me right now to go through his Herbology books and find something that will help me breathe underwater._

* * *

_Sirius,_

_I thought you might need a friend and my daughter misses you._

_Andy_

Sirius took a deep breath, feeling the air fill his lungs, slowly, so slowly, his chest rising, rising, rising.

He breathed out.

He wanted to find Skeeter and hex her into next week.

Breathe in.

He wanted to break every finger in her hands, so she’d never write a single word again.

Breathe out.

He wanted to curse her.

He wanted to rip her apart, limb from limb.

He wanted to kill her.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

_They’re right_ , he thought bitterly, looking down at the letters in front of him, _Remus is right_. Going after Skeeter wouldn’t help anyone. Not even himself. _And I owe it to Harry to stay with him_. He couldn’t lose more time just because of petty revenge. Because of stupidity.

Breathe in.

He picked up a piece of parchment and a quill and started writing.

Breathe out.

_Dear Andy,_


	4. Chapter 4

“Hello, little cousin.”

“Andy.”

It felt weird, seeing her again after so many years but once her arms closed around him and he inhaled the scent of roses and black tea, it was like coming home.

“I’m sorry,” Andromeda Tonks whispered into his ear just before letting go of him, her eyes filed with regret and sorrow. “She had no right and it wasn’t her secret to tell.”

“You don’t mind then?” Sirius asked carefully.

His cousin smiled, a little sadly, a little wistfully, but genuine, nonetheless. “I assume you’ve known for a long time.”

“Since we were twelve.”

“And yet you became friends. And yet you fell in love. And yet you stayed together after everything that’s happened.” Shaking her head lightly, Andy lead Sirius into the kitchen, flicking her wand at the kettle. “I barely knew Remus and I haven’t talked to him in over 12 years – it is not my place to deliver any kind of judgement over the person he is, but you trust him. Dumbledore trusts him. That’s enough for me.”

The kettle let out a high-pitched whistle and, with another wave of Andy’s wand, it began to pour water into a big, green tea can.

Sirius took the time to really look at her. To really see her. The last time had been in the middle of a war – Andy and her family, Ted and Dora, her husband and kid, had gone into hiding, like so many others. Scared. Sirius remembered the tremble in her hand as he’d helped her pack clothes into a bag, he remembered the flinch at every sound, he remembered the fear in her eyes as he’d waved them goodbye. And then Peter had betrayed them all, and then Voldemort was gone, and then Sirius had been arrested, and then, and then, and then – and _now_ …now here they were, and she looked good. Her hair was lighter, lusher, her eyes void of the dark rings they’d borne, then, her smile wide and true.

“How’s Dora?” he asked, desperate to change the subject.

The expression in Andy’s eyes turned proud. “She’s an Auror,” she exclaimed, setting down the tea can and a plate of biscuits on the table, “Finished her training this summer. She passed concealment and Disguise with flying colours.”

Sirius chuckled. “Of course, she did.”

“I’m proud of her.”

“She’s a good kid.”

“She misses you.”

“I’ll be back, okay?” said the Sirius, “Soon.”

“You better,” his cousin warned him before lunging into a story of Ted’s new job at a Muggle news station while Sirius welcomes the opportunity to not think about Rita Skeeter.

* * *

Aberforth did not read the _Daily Prophet_ as it turned out, or maybe he just didn’t care. Sirius was grateful either way that no one bothered him about Remus’ Werewolf status while he was at work, instead allowing him to concentrate on more pressing matters, like Skeeter herself, like getting Harry through the last Task, like Karkaroff and Barty Crouch.

“I saw him on the Map,” Harry said now. They were sitting in the backroom of the Hog’s Head, not something Sirius was overly delighted about but definitely better than to risk running into Skeeter in the Three Broomsticks. “Crouch. He was searching Snape’s office.”

Sirius frowned. “And you say he hasn’t been in to see the Tournament otherwise?”

Harry, Ron and Hermione all shook their heads while Remus remained perfectly still, probably already trying to connect the dots in his head.

“Doesn’t make sense,” Sirius told the kids.

“Percy says he’s not well. Overworked,” Ron explained, and Sirius scoffed.

“Bartemius Crouch has never taken a sick day in his life. Why start now?”

“And why search Snape’s office?” Hermione considered.

“Yeah, that’s a good question as well.”

Ron shrugged. “Maybe he thinks Snape is a Death Eater.”

Sirius glanced at Remus who at least seemed to be somewhat more present, enough to give a subtle nod. “He was,” Sirius said, almost regretting it immediately when he saw the shocked faces of the three Gryffindors, “During the War. He was one of Voldemort’s followers.”

“Why in Merlin’s name would Dumbledore let a Death Eater work in Hogwarts?” Ron asked outraged.

“Because he trusts him,” Remus said from where he was sitting, his voice low, “And in this case, I’ll take Dumbledore’s word for it.”

“Even if Crouch believed that,” Sirius added, “Why sneak into the castle in the middle of the night? He’s a renown person in the Ministry, he used to be Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement – if he wanted to search Snape’s office, he could do it without a problem, anytime.”

This was just another piece in the puzzle that had been building up for months and months now and it bothered Sirius that he still couldn’t see the whole picture.

“Harry,” Remus said slowly, “I know it belongs to you now, but could you give us the Map? You need to concentrate on the third Task. We’ll keep an eye on it.”

“Of course,” Harry agreed, immediately pulling the parchment from his pocket and handing to the Werewolf who passed it on to Sirius.

The brunet nodded his thanks before asking, “What else?”

Three faces turned dark. “Skeeter.”

_Ahh_. “Yes. I saw that.”

“I can’t figure out how she does it,” Hermione began, “She wasn’t anywhere near me and Viktor after the second Task but she still overheard us talking. She’s not even allowed on school grounds anymore, so how?”

“I’ll keep an eye on _that_ as well,” Sirius assured her.

“Thanks, Sirius.”

“Just fulfilling my godfatherly duties, Prongslet.”.

* * *

Sirius’ godfatherly duties for the following days and weeks included, but were not limited to, looking out for anything with Skeeter’s name on it; having loud discussions with Molly Weasley to please, _please leave_ _Harry and Hermione alone, heartbreak’s a rite of passage,_ having even louder discussions with Dolores Umbridge who tried to get him to confess to engaging in ‘carnal relationships with a werewolf’ – twice – which would immediately challenge his status as Harrys’ guardian; pestering Minerva in her office almost every night until she simply redirected any Floo-traffic coming from Sirius’ place straight to Remus’ office; and, in the little spare time he had, starring at the Marauder’s Map – like right now.

Harry had just left the castle to go to the Quidditch Pitch where Delacour, Krum, Bagman and – _Crouch?_ – were already waiting for him.

_Huh. Seems like he’s feeling better._

Still, Sirius kept his eyes fixed on the little dot tagged ‘Barty Crouch’, watching as the little group dissolved and Crouch went back up to the Castle while Harry and Krum strolled towards the edge of the Forest.

“What are you doing, Harry?” Sirius muttered to himself. He wasn’t sure what it was, but something gave him an incredibly uneasy feeling about the whole thing.

They stood, talking probably, and Sirius was just about to call it a day, when –

“What the hell?”

There, on the edge of the Forbidden Forrest was Barty Crouch.

Harry ran back up to the castle and straight into Snape before Dumbledore emerged from his office and all three walked back towards the Front Gate. Sirius let his eyes wonder back to where Krum and Crouch were, except – Crouch was gone.

Without further ado, Sirius rolled up the Map and stepped into the fireplace.

“Hogwarts!”

The green flames swallowed him as he was squeezed through the Floo-network, stumbling slightly as he arrived in Remus’ office. The professor’s head snapped up as soon as Sirius hit his floorboards, a deep crease forming between his eyebrows.

“Sirius?”

“Something happened,” Sirius announced, patting the dust off his clothes.

“What?”

“I don’t know.” Shaking his head, Sirius explained, “I was looking at the Map, Harry was going down to the Quidditch Pitch, the other Champions were there, and Bagman and Crouch. Then Crouch went back to the Castle and Harry and Krum towards the Forest and…then it got weird.”

“Weird how?” Remus asked, sounding calm and collected but Sirius could see the anxiety behind his eyes.

“Crouch came out of the Forest.” Sirius ran a hand through his hair, distantly noting that he should probably have it cut soon. _Maybe Moony will do it_. “Harry went back to the Castle and got Dumbledore, I was looking at him. When I looked back to Krum and Crouch, Crouch was gone.”

Remus blinked, frowning deeply. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

“I know!”

Walking around the table, Remus crossed the distance between them and laid a gentle yet strong hand onto Sirius’ shoulder. “Where’s Harry now?”

“Dumbledore, I think.”

Remus nodded. “Okay.” A second hand, slowly pulling him in, closer, closer, closer – chest to chest – and Sirius allowed himself to breathe deeply. “Stay the night,” he suggested, “Harry’ll probably come by as soon as he can.”

Sirius nodded against the crook of Remus’ neck, his eyes closed.

Behind them, the door opened, just enough for a single person to slide in, before it closed again with a soft but decisive _click_.

“Alright, cub?” Sirius asked without looking up. There was a sound of fabric rustling.

“Sirius, how –”

“I watched you on the Map.” Sirius lifted his head.

Harry was standing in front of the door, James’ cloak bunched up in his hands, looking worryingly pale in the dimmed light of the room.

Somewhat reluctantly, Sirius stepped away from Remus and walked up to his godson. “What happened?”

“It was Crouch,” Harry answered, “He was there. Bagman gave the us the third Task, then Krum wanted to talk about Hermione, which was weird. I mean we’re just friends, really, and –”

“Harry,” Remus softly interrupted Harry’s rambling.

“Right.” Harry shook his head. “Anyway. We were talking and then Crouch showed up. He looked real sick, talking nonsense about Percy and his son –”

Sirius frowned at that. “His son?”

Nodding his head, Harry asked, “Why? What about him?”

“He’s dead.”

“What happened?”

“He went to Azkaban,” Sirius told him, voice rough. He could feel the cold again, now. “After the War. Barty Crouch Junior was a Death Eater, went to school with us too, same year as my brother, actually. They were close. The Aurors arrested him, and his father, Crouch Senior, was Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the time…” He took a deep breath. He didn’t like thinking about it. Any of it. But talking about it was worse. “You need to understand that they were dark times. Voldemort at his strongest…no one knew who they could trust. Everyday people died, people were kidnapped and tortured…a lot of people were under the Imperius Curse, doing Voldemort’s bidding against their will. Crouch – Senior, that is – he believed that the only way to go against all that was to fight violence with violence. He condoned the use of the Killing Curse on Death Eaters, if they were captured, he sent them to Azkaban without a trial. He was as brutal as any Death Eater, but people supported him, thought he was doing the right thing. He would have been the next Minister of Magic…And then his son was arrested. He gave him a trial to show everyone how much he hated him. Barty Junior was only nineteen at the time. I saw them bring him in, past my cell, he was screaming and crying. He died a year later. A lot of them did. Because his father had connections, he and his wife got to visit their son on his deathbed. The wife died shortly after that.” A chuckle, dark and bitter, rumbled through his chest and he hook his head. “And that’s how the great inquisitor Bartemius Crouch fell from grace.”

“It was like he kept talking to Percy, thinking his son and wife were still alive,” Harry went on, his own voice quiet and distant, “He said he needed to see Dumbledore, that he’d made a mistake, that he escaped from something and that…that Voldemort was getting stronger.” He Swallowed. “So, I went to the Castle but by the time we got back, Krum was unconscious, and Crouch was gone.”

_Still doesn’t make any sense_ , Sirius thought while Remus led the teenager towards the desk and sat him down on one of the chairs.

“Tea?” Harry nodded. “Harry,” Remus began while making the tea, “You said Crouch looked ill.” Another nod. “Did he look ill when you saw him before?”

A beat of silence. The only sound in the room, the boiling water and Sirius’ heart beating wildly in his chest.

“I didn’t see him earlier,” Harry answered at last, sounding confused and Sirius rushed around the table to look at him.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that was the first time I saw him in weeks. Months.”

“But…he was there. With Bagman.”

Harry shook his head. “No,” he said, “He wasn’t. It was just Bagman.”

“But I saw him,” Sirius argued, his chest tightening, “On the Map.”

“He wasn’t there.”

Sirius glanced at Remus who stood frozen next to the kettle, a deep frown on his face and an expression in his eyes that looked like fear.

_What the bloody hell is going on?_

“Okay,” Sirius said slowly, trying and failing to ignore the knots in his stomach, “Okay. We’ll deal with that, too.” _Somehow_ , he added in thought. “Harry, I want you to stay with your friends at all times. Don’t wander off on your own. Always keep the Cloak on you. I’ll stay here for a while and Remus and I are gonna teach you every spell, hex and curse we know to get you through that last Task, okay?”

Harry gulped audibly but nodded, his eyes wide. “Thank you.”

_It’s gonna be okay_ , he wanted to say, except he couldn’t because what if it wasn’t? Something was going on, something Sirius couldn’t see, couldn’t figure out, couldn’t explain, something big, bigger than he’d initially thought. _It has to be okay…_

It was already late when Harry returned to the Common Room, accompanied by Remus, while Sirius stayed behind in the office, staring at fading embers on the fireplace.

_Is has to be okay…_

* * *

They spent the following weeks holed up in Remus’ office, practicing all kinds of spells that would keep Harry alive during his way through the maze.

“Brilliant, Harry!” Sirius heard Remus’ cheer from were he was lying on the ground. His back hurt from falling repeatedly onto the pile of pillows on the ground but he had to admit that Harry was, in fact, brilliant.

“You have a talent there, Harry,” he groaned as he fought his way back onto his own two feet and Harry beamed, “Whatever’s in the maze, it doesn’t stand a chance.”

It was the day before the last Task and, for once, Sirius was not worried. Harry was fast, his Seeker-reflexes paying off when it came to dodging, shielding, and casting spells of all kind. Harry was also creative, Sirius had noticed, thinking back to one memorable occasion where the boy had used a table to take the Stunner Remus had send his way before flinging said table at his teacher.

“Thanks.”

“How are you feeling, Harry?” Remus asked now, handing Harry a large piece of chocolate like always after their training sessions.

“Alright,” the teenager answered, sounding genuinely confident which put Sirius even more at ease.

“Your scar?”

Harry looked at his godfather. His scar had been hurting more and more lately, to the point where he’d had to leave class because of the pain. Somehow, Skeeter had gotten wind of it too and written a nasty little article on Harry’s feeble mind.

“Nothing since last time.”

“Good.”

It was worrisome to say the least, that Harry’s scar hurt, even ore that it seemed to make him feel things, things that had nothing to do with what was going on around him.

“Like someone else’s feelings,” he’d told Sirius once which had led to Sirius making a mental note that said _Occlumency_ in big, bold letters.

But despite that, despite the mysteries that seemed to line up one after another, despite Skeeter, despite Sirius’ own nightmares, it did feel like they were heading somewhere good. Harry trusted them – him and Remus – he asked for their help, he talked to them, and he listened to what they had to say.

“Finish your chocolate and go to bed,” Remus suggested now, “You’ll need all the rest you can get tomorrow.”

Grinning, Harry did exactly that, and five minutes later, the two older men were on their own.

“Remus?”

“Huh?”

“I think he actually has a chance of winning this thing.”

They were lying on Remus’ bed, Sirius’ head pillowed on Remus’ chest and Remus’ hand buried deep in Sirius’ hair.

“I think so, too,” the Werewolf muttered, his hand stroking absentmindedly over the brunet’s scalp.

“They’d be so proud.”

“James would have had a heart attack during the first Task,” Remus replied, making Sirius chuckle lightly.

“Yeah,” he agreed, “He was always more bark than bite, wasn’t he?”

“Remind you of anyone?”

“Rude!” Sirius retorted but he couldn’t help the smile on his lips, “I have a lot of bite in me.” Remus craned his neck to look at Sirius, a single eyebrow raised, and his eyes filled with laugher. “Shut up,” Sirius said, giving his best pout.

“Didn’t say anything.”

“It was written all over your face.”

“You love my face.”

“That I do, Moony.” To prove his point, Sirius turned around, holding himself up on one arm as he leaned over Remus to press a kiss on the other man’s cheek. His nose. His eyelids. His lips.

Remus smiled, giving back as good as he got, before closing his arms around Sirius’ torso and pulling him into a tight hug. “We’ll be alright,” he whispered into the brunet’s ear, “Won’t we?”

“Yes.”

And he believed it. For the first time in months, Sirius believed that they would, in fact, be alright.


	5. Chapter 5

They were not alright.

The third Task had started off good – Harry and Cedric entered the maze together, followed by Krum, and Delacour. The atmosphere in the stands around the Quidditch Pitch had been charged with excitement. Sirius could almost taste it, the pride, the joy, the anticipation. Next to him, Remus had held his hand tightly, a happy smile on his face.

And then everything had gone wrong.

Harry had appeared in the middle of the Quidditch Pitch, clutching the Triwizard Cup to his chest and the crowd had cheered, a roar erupting from the depth of the heart, a cry of victory, and amidst them all, Sirius and Remus had sat, frozen by cold terror but not knowing why.

“Voldemort is back.”

Three words, whispered into the air, barely audible but ringing in Sirius’ ears as if they’d been a piercing scream.

“What happened, Harry?” Remus asked. They were in the Hospital Wing, Harry lying on a bed, pale, his eyes staring into the distance. Sirius wanted nothing more than to let him sleep but Remus was right, of course he was right, postponing the pain would not make it easier to bear.

“The Cup,” Harry started in a hoarse voice, “It was a Portkey. Cedric came with me but…he wasn’t Cedric. He was there, too. Voldemort. He was weak. They made a potion. They took bones from a grave. Cedric’s arm. My blood. Voldemort has a body now. He called the Death Eaters. We duelled. My wand...it did something weird…I saw mum. And dad. I got away.” Harry was shaking now. His eyes screwed close, reliving the horror he’d just experienced, just re-experienced, a nightmare turned real.

“Who was Cedric?” Remus pressed on, taking Harry’s hand and the boy opened his eyes to look at the man.

“Barty Crouch. Junior. He escaped from Azkaban. His dad helped him, somehow. Kept him under the Imperius Curse but he fought back, defeated it. He killed his father. He’s been working for Voldemort all this time, he entered the Tournament to bring me to Voldemort.”

“Polyjuice?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.” Remus nodded, squeezing Harry’s hand. “You should sleep now, Harry. We’ll be here when you wake up.”

Sirius was still staring at his godson, shocked, not knowing what to say, when Remus stepped next to him

“Cedric is still alive,” he muttered into Sirius’ ear, “Crouch had to keep him somewhere in the Castle to get the hair, get information on how to act like him. He’s still alive.” Sirius nodded, only half-understanding what Remus had said. “Sirius.”

“He’s back,” was all Sirius said, “He’s back.”

Remus nodded. “He is.”

“They died for nothing.”

“That’s not true,” the Werewolf argued, taking Sirius’ hand now, his voice urgent, “They died so Harry could live.”

_Harry will die too…_

Behind them, the doors burst open and a group of people stormed inside, completely ignoring Poppy’s protests.

“I demand answers!” Cornelius Fudge exclaimed. Minerva was just behind him, looking beyond angry. Snape was paler than usual, his right hand clutching his left forearm. Only Dumbledore was a pillar of calmness, his blue eyes resting on Harry.

“And I demand that my patients receive the rest they deserve!” Poppy snapped back, “Minister.”

In the end, they decided that it was best to not tell the truth. When it came down to it, Fudge was a coward who wouldn’t believe a word they’d say and with no prove all it would do would enrage him.

In the end, it was Remus who told a story of a misguided young man who had escaped Azkaban with the help of his father and disguised himself as a student, driven by the idea to bring his old master back, Remus who ordered a search of the Castle for Cedric Diggory, Remus who stayed by Harry’s side until he woke up, never letting go of his hand, growling at anyone who wasn’t Sirius who dared approach them.

In the end, Minerva, Snape and Dumbledore were the ones to take action, sending out word to the right people. Staying hidden and in secret but not inactive.

It was time to bring the Order of the Phoenix back together.

* * *

_Dearest cousin,_

_I am well aware that you have no reason whatsoever to read these words and yet I find myself with no other choice but to beg of you that you do just that. I do not seek your forgiveness nor your help, only that you read. And listen._

_News of the Dark Lord’s return have, without a doubt, already reached you. He has summoned his old followers who have come to stand by his side once more. I am regretful to say that my husband is one of them. However, it is not my husband that I worry about but my son. Draco. Ever since he was a boy, all he wanted was to make his father proud, to follow in his footsteps, it is now more than ever that I fear for him. If Draco becomes what Lucius wants him to be, there will be no going back for him. I write to you as a mother, seeking to protect her child. I know of your relations to Remus Lupin and although this letter is addressed to you, it is his good-will I seek. With nothing to offer in return I ask of him to look out for Draco in the coming school year and, should Draco seek his help, to not turn him away but to protect him as I cannot offer that protection any longer._

_Your cousin,_

_Narcissa_


End file.
